Zoe C. Franklin

Directing visual attention during action observation modulates corticospinal excitability

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) research has shown that corticospinal excitability is facilitated during the observation of human movement. However, the relationship between corticospinal excitability and participants’ visual attention during action observation is rarely considered. Nineteen participants took part in four conditions: (i) a static hand condition, involving observation of a right hand holding a ball between the thumb and index finger; (ii) a free observation condition, involving observation of the ball being pinched between thumb and index finger; and (iii and iv) finger-focused and ball-focused conditions, involving observation of the same ball pinch action with instructions to focus visual attention on either the index finger or the ball. Single-pulse TMS was delivered to the left motor cortex and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and abductor digiti minimi muscles of the right hand. Eye movements were recorded simultaneously throughout each condition. The ball-focused condition produced MEPs of significantly larger amplitude in the FDI muscle, compared to the free observation or static hand conditions. Furthermore, regression analysis indicated that the number of fixations on the ball was a significant predictor of MEP amplitude in the ball-focused condition. These results have important implications for the design and delivery of action observation interventions in motor (re)learning settings. Specifically, providing viewing instructions that direct participants to focus visual attention on task-relevant objects affected by the observed movement promotes activity in the motor system in a more optimal manner than free observation or no instructions.

Influence of Defensiveness on Disability in a Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Population.

This study aimed to identify the following: (1) the proportion of the defensive high‐anxious personality type in a chronic pain population; (2) whether personality type affects the relationships between cognitive factors and disability.

A qualitative investigation of factors that matter to individuals in the pain management process

Abstract Objective: Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a complex condition to manage with widespread consequences including physical disability, psychosocial effects and increased use of healthcare. Previous research has found patients’ experiences within health care can be influenced by factors such as expectations, therapist characteristics and treatment process. This study used patient interviews to identify the key factors that influence individuals’ experiences in the management of chronic pain. Design: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews in either a home or hospital setting. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted on eight participants attending hospital-based pain management. Participants were asked about their experiences of pain management and living with a chronic pain condition. Interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically. Results: Three main themes were identified; impact of their condition on daily life, clinical interactions and the pain management process. Understanding the condition was a key factor for the patients, in particular, explanation by the clinician. The temporality of their pain meant timing of appointments was critical. Patients reported factors such as family days and follow-up sessions would improve their treatment experience. Conclusions: This study highlighted important factors for healthcare professionals and patients in the management of chronic pain. Participants indicated a desire to understand their condition and learn strategies for self-management to allow them to cope better. As patients found benefit from being involved in the management process, discussions around the options for treatment may enhance management and rehabilitation. It is important we continue to research factors important to individuals with musculoskeletal pain to find an effective, evidence-based framework for understanding and managing this condition. Implications for rehabilitation This study highlights the importance to patients of being given information to help them understand their pain condition and to learn strategies for self-management to cope better. Where information was not provided and inadequate time allowed for questioning and discussion, patients tended to desire more frequent access to the care services. More effective communication may result in reduced demand and more efficient management. Patients suggested that ongoing peer support may offer an alternative to clinician-led services.

Screen Position Preference Offers a New Direction for Action Observation Research: Preliminary Findings Using TMS

Action observation has been suggested to be an effective adjunct to physical practice in motor (re)learning settings. However, optimal viewing conditions for interventions are yet to be established. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to investigate the effect of two different screen positions and participants’ screen position viewing preference on the amplitude of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) during observation of a ball pinch action. Twenty-four participants observed four blocked conditions that contained either a dynamic index finger-thumb ball pinch or a static hand holding a ball in a similar position on a horizontally or vertically positioned screen. TMS was delivered to the hand representation of the left primary motor cortex and MEPs were recorded from the first dorsal interosseous muscle of the right hand. Initial analysis of the normalized MEP amplitude data showed no significant differences between conditions. In a follow-up procedure, participants engaged in individual semi-structured interviews and completed a questionnaire designed to assess viewing affect and screen position viewing preference. The MEP data were subsequently split by screen position preference and re-analyzed using a 2 × 2 repeated measures ANOVA. Main effects indicated that participants who preferred the horizontal screen position (n = 16) demonstrated significantly greater MEP amplitudes during observation of the ball-pinch action compared to the static hand condition irrespective of screen position, and during the horizontal compared to the vertical screen position irrespective of video type. These results suggest that ensuring anatomical and perceptual congruency with the physical task, alongside consideration of participants’ screen position viewing preferences, may be an important part of optimizing action observation interventions.

Corticospinal excitability is facilitated by combined action observation and motor imagery of a basketball free throw

Objectives: This experiment investigated the extent to which independent action observation, independent motor imagery and combined action observation and motor imagery of a sport‐related motor skill elicited activity within the motor system. Design and method: Eighteen, right‐handed, male participants engaged in four conditions following a repeated measures design. The experimental conditions involved action observation, motor imagery, or combined action observation and motor imagery of a basketball free throw, whilst the control condition involved observation of a static image of a basketball player holding a basketball. In all conditions, single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was delivered to the forearm representation of the left motor cortex. The amplitude of the resulting motor evoked potentials were recorded from the flexor carpi ulnaris and extensor carpi ulnaris muscles of the right forearm and used as a marker of corticospinal excitability. Results: Corticospinal excitability was facilitated significantly by combined action observation and motor imagery of the basketball free throw, in comparison to both the action observation and control conditions. In contrast, the independent use of either action observation or motor imagery did not facilitate corticospinal excitability compared to the control condition. Conclusions: The findings have implications for the design and delivery of action observation and motor imagery interventions in sport. As corticospinal excitability was facilitated by the use of combined action observation and motor imagery, researchers should seek to establish the efficacy of implementing combined action observation and motor imagery interventions for improving motor skill performance and learning in applied sporting settings. HighlightsCombined action observation and motor imagery facilitates corticospinal excitability.Corticospinal excitability was not facilitated by independent observation or imagery.Sport psychologists should combine imagery interventions with action observation.

Defensive High-Anxious Individuals Demonstrate Difference Responses to Pain Management to Those with Lower Levels of Defensiveness and Anxiety

Few studies have considered the effect of Weinberger et al.s personality types on the management of pain. The aims of this study were to (1) identify whether the relationships between pain intensity, cognitive factors, and disability at 3 and 6 months postbaseline differ as a result of personality type; and (2) identify whether personality type affects the likelihood of achieving a minimal clinically important change in pain intensity or disability at 3 and 6 months.

Observation of an action with a congruent contextual background facilitates corticospinal excitability: A combined TMS and eye-tracking experiment

ABSTRACT Action observation produces activity in similar regions of the brain to those involved in action execution and can offer an effective intervention for motor (re)learning, although optimal viewing conditions for such interventions remain to be established. In this experiment, single‐pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and eye‐tracking were used simultaneously to investigate the effect of manipulating background context on both corticospinal excitability and visual attention during action observation. Twenty‐four participants observed four different videos: (i) a static hand holding a sponge (control condition); and an index finger‐thumb pinch of a sponge against (ii) a plain black background; (iii) a background containing objects that were incongruent with the observed action; and (iv) a background containing objects that were congruent with the observed action. TMS was delivered to the hand representation of the left primary motor cortex, and motor evoked potentials were recorded from the first dorsal interosseous and abductor digiti minimi muscles of the right hand. Eye movements were recorded throughout the experiment. Results indicated that corticospinal excitability was facilitated during the congruent context condition compared to both the static hand and plain black background conditions. In addition, the number of fixations and percentage of time participants spent fixating on the background scene were significantly greater during the incongruent and congruent conditions compared to the static hand and plain black background conditions. These results indicate that the provision of additional visual information that is congruent with the observed movement contributes to a facilitation of corticospinal excitability by providing the observer with information regarding the goal and intention of the observed action. Providing congruent contextual information may enhance the efficacy of action observation interventions for motor (re)learning. HighlightsAction observation with a congruent context facilitated corticospinal excitability.Observation with incongruent or plain backgrounds did not facilitate MEP amplitude.Providing contextual information modulated visual attention during observation.Observation interventions should be presented with congruent contextual backgrounds.

Personality Type Influences Attentional Bias in Individuals with Chronic Back Pain

Attentional biases reflect an individual’s selective attention to salient stimuli within their environment, for example an experience of back pain. Eysenck suggests that different personality types show different attentional biases to threatening information. This study is the first to test Eysenck’s theory within a chronic back pain population by investigating the attentional biases of four different personality types using a back pain specific dot-probe paradigm. Participants were 70 volunteers (45 female) recruited from a back rehabilitation program at an NHS Trust. The four groups were selected on their trait anxiety and defensiveness scores: defensive high-anxious; high-anxious; repressor and non-extreme. Participants completed a dot probe task comprising 20 practice trials and 250 experimental trials. The experimental trials contained 100 threat-neutral pairs, 100 positive-neutral pairs and 50 neutral-neutral image pairings. The threat images were taken from the Photograph Series of Daily Activities (PHODA) and the neutral and positive images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) image bank. The results provided partial support for Eysenck’s theory; defensive high-anxious individuals showed an attentional bias for threatening information compared to high-anxious individuals who demonstrated no bias. Repressors showed an avoidant bias to threatening images and an attentional bias to positive stimuli relative to neutral images. The clear difference in responses demonstrated by high-anxious individuals who vary in defensiveness highlight the need for separate investigation of these heterogeneous groups and help to explain the cognitive processes of defensive high-anxious individuals within a pain population. The demonstration of an attentional bias in this group to threatening information could explain why defensive high-anxious individuals are more likely to re-present for treatment.